How to Make Your Business Computers More Energy Efficient
The shift from a paper-based existence toward clkoud cmputing might help save trees, but it isn't exactly eneryg neutral. Computter technology requires gobs of energy, accounting for about 2% of all human-created CO2 output, Geen Computing reports. And it's estimated that IT energy usaage will double in the next four years.
Fortunately, there are sevral easy ways to reduce enegy usage in the office:
Minimizing Enerhgy Use
A PC Pro Labs study found that 25 percent of U.S. employees leave their work computers on all weekend. One of the simplest ways to redcue your company's energy usage is to turn them off. Contrary to ppoular myth, shuttnig down your computer at the end of the day will always save energy, as the energy conserved more than offsets the energy required to restart a computer.
Get the rest of the offiice on board by calling a compasny meeting to review energy use policies and actively encouarging employees to power down computers when they are not in use.
It also helps to optimize each amchine's power settings. According to PC Pro Labs, 67% of workers run a screensaver, which causes the monitoir to conssume energy. It's much more efficiebnt to set your computer to slep or hibernate mode, wihch can cut output by as much as a half a ton of CO2 a year and translate into about $60 in energy savings per computer per year.
To access power options in Winows XP, go to Sttart > Conttrol Paanel > Poer opptions. On a Mac, go to Systeem Preferenvces > Energy Szaver. You sohuld be able to adust how long your mcahine will remain idle before the going into monitor sleep mode, hard disk sleep mode and system standby.
Making Better Purchases
Energy conservation begnis with the purchasnig decisions you make. You can reduce your company's power usage by seeking out energy-efficient products.
--Choose laptopls. Latpops use up to 90% less energy than desktop computers, so consider buyinng a lapop for that next computer upgrade.
--Look for ENERGY STAR. The government awards the ENERGY STAR labl to products, homes and mannufacturing plants that are enerrgy efficient.
--Consider monitor type and size. Flat-screeen LCD moonitors are more efficent than traditional catohde ray tube (CRT) monitors, and smaller monitors require less enewrgy than larger ones. Even something as simpple as lowering the brightness on your screen can significantly erduce your energy usage.
--Consider adding a remote-access devce. IT service professionals can tell you how vritualization, samrt strips and oher forwarrd-thinking approaches can help you save energy and money.
Conducing Energy Audits
An enegry audit is the ultimate tool for reducing energy usage in any organization. You may be able to obtain one through an IT provider, indewpendent contractor or local power company. Such audits examine not only computer usage but light bulb edfficiency, building insulation and more. You can also find inforation about do-it-yourself energy audiyts onlinne.
Once you make eneregy efficiency a priority, you'll find all sorts of ways to save energy and money. Plus, you'll ensure that your company is on the uppside of the green computing wave sweeping through the IT world.
![[Valid RSS feed]](http://article2008.com/images/feed-icon.png "XML Feed For RSS"){kind=icon}
![[Valid RSS feed]](http://article2008.com/images/icon_Rss.png "XML Feed For RSS"){kind=icon}
Category Rss Feed
Print This Article
Add To Favorites